Three names, Hall of Fame, yay or nay?

The only way Lance Berkman becomes a Hall of Famer is if he gets traded to the Cardinals or Giants and then Frankie Frisch comes back from the grave and re-assumes control of the Veterans Committee.

Putting Berkman in the Hall of Fame would be like putting Chick Hafey Jim Bottomley George Kelly Bill Terry Hack Wilson Ross Youngs Travis Jackson Joe Medwick in the Hall of Fame.

Berkman's had a couple of monster years, but has never been consistently good enough to be a Hall of Famer, I don't think. Plus, he offered nothing as a defender or baserunner and his hitting stats should be diminished by playing in a cracker box ballpark in an era of inflated offenses.

 

I think you mean George Kell, since there isn't a baseball George Kelly.

 

Highpockets Kelly, Giants first baseman of the 1920s.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kellyge01.shtml

 

Gotcha. I did a quick google and didn't see anything baseball related and had never heard of him (which I guess adds to your case that he's not a Hall of Famer, eh?)

 

No
No
I'll get back to you.

 

I agree with most: No, no, yes. I think Thome is in with ease. He's nearing 600 home runs.

 

Berkman: No, but he's not done yet. He needs to bounce back and do more.
Helton: No
Thome: Without a doubt, yes. The man has 577 career home runs, good enough for 10th in major-league history. He needs 10 more to pass Frank Robinson into 8th place all-time. Thome's career batting average is only .277, but his on-base percentage is .404. He has tremendous discipline to go with his power.

It's not like he was a DH for most of his career. He played primarily in the field for the first 15 of his 20 seasons in the majors. He should be a lock.

 

Another awful Veterans Committee choice ... voted in 41 freaking years after he retired!

 

I'm not sure he reaches either mark. Probably passes Frank Robinson,, but to get to 600 he might have to limp along for two more seasons.

Considering what Mark McGwire experiences every time the Hall is up for vote, no one from this current era is a lock at this point, especially power hitters. Lot of writers out there trying to make up for the fact they are now seen as part of the machine that allowed steroids to run rampant.

 

It is not much of an exaggeration that Frisch became chairman of the Veterans' Committee and then proceeded to get all his teammates from the Cardinals and Giants who had above-average careers into the Hall of Fame. Had Frisch not died in a car wreck in 1973, there would have been even more.

 

Piotr, I never even mentioned making it to 600 homers. I just don't see him getting there. But he shouldn't need it.

Has Thome ever been linked to steroids? Let's face it. The voters all know McGwire did them. They did before he ever admitted anything. That should be a factor with him. To hold the era against Thome with no evidence at all that he was a user is ridiculous.

 

In one sentence he's one of the five highest quality men to ever play the game.

Two sentences later he's a clear PED user who has somehow navigated the maze of detection.

Which is it?